Surface drainage with



(No Model.)

A. MONTENEGRO.

SURFACE DRAINAGE WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE PREVENTION OF PLOODS.

No. 319,297. I, ented June 2, 1885.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Orrrcn.

ANTONIO MONTENEGRO, OF MADRID, SPAIN.

SURFACE DRAINAGE WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE PREVENTION OF FLOODS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 319,297, dated June 2, 1885.

Application filed December 31, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ANTONIO MONTENEGRO, a subject of the King of Spain, residing at Madrid, Spain, have invented new and useful Improvements in Surface Drainage with Special Reference to the Prevention of Floods, of which the following is a specification.

By this system the topography of the coun try will be modified in the following manner:

The adjoining drawing represents a vertical View of a plot of land which is supposed will have to be dealt with. summit A, the water will run down, dividing itself on the slopes of both sides. If what will take place on one of the sides is described, it will be understood that the same occurs on the other. Starting from the dividing-point A, the water that falls there will run down, incorporating with that which falls at B, and so on successively until it forms a flood; but if a zone is selected from the summit downward, and in the lowest part of it a dike, O, isestablished in a transverse sense to the current of the water, the whole of it that has fallen on that zone will be collected and retained there. To attain this efficiently, a knowledge of the quantity of water that may fall as a maximum is required, so as to make the dike somewhat in excess of the estimated requirements, in order that the volume of water D can in no case pass over the top of the dike, which is to be made of earth-work. Starting from the first dike, a second zone will be fixed to collect the water that falls on it, and the dike E will be established, and so on other dikes will be made until all the water that falls on the land dealt with is prevented from running from it superficially. When the country is mountainous, the dales and slight folds of the ground are the eligible spots to establish. the dikes.

By this system rain-water will be kept Very near where it has fallen until it is filtered through the ground without running out of it. The consequence of such collectors or pools will be that the ground will be rising in the part nearest to the dikes, and therefore their height requires to be increased as the fillingv If rain falls on its up takes place, and care should always be had that the inclosed surface is sufficient to collect all the water that has a chance to accumulate there.

The pools ought not to be of great areas; but, as a rule, such as can be formed by means of dikes the height of which may not be above one to two meters, bearing in mind that the water is sooner filtered with low dikes than with high ones.

On lands of easy inclines the height of dikes can be kept as low as from one-half to one meter.

The advantages of this system of partial collectors are, first, the torrential falls of water will be converted in subterranean currents,and thereby the now existing springs will be increased and new ones will make their appearance; second, floods will be impossible, since torrential water will not be able to accumulate quickly, as it does now in the brooks and rivers; third, all the elements of fertility of the soil which rain-water carries now to sea and are lost will be saved by this system fourth, deep-soil will be formed in high lands, such as is not found now but in the valleys; fifth, the system can be applied with equal advantage whether to uncultivated or arable lands as well as to woods; sixth, by avoiding torrential waters in the rivers these will be like quiet canals; seventh, the suppression of torrential water will greatly facilitate public Works in general.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

The herein-described method of converting torrential and other rain-falls upon inclined lands into subterranean currents, consisting in forming dikes transversely of the inclines of the land at proper intervals, whereby the rainfall is caught and filtered through the ground in passing to an outlet, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ANTONIO MONTENEGRO.

Witnesses:

EDUARDO DE SABAIG, ANTONIO DE PARADA. 

